I am wondering about a trend I have noticed.

I have been paying attention to gas prices, because I always expected rising gas prices to be one of the first signs that would materialize when things start happening. In my area, gas has gone form $0.98 to $1.10 in about 15 days.

I understand that regions differ and before I jump to conclusions I was wondering if anyone had noticed the same phenomenon, and also how widespread it might be. I have heard there are occasional shortages in CA.

Keeping informed about Y2K trends is wise for those who are preparing. Thank you in advance for any pertinent info.

-- Copycat (dobbie@coastalnet.com), August 05, 1999

Answers

Copycat..... Here in the GOLDEN $tate...Gas has been going up!! Just paid today $1.49 a gallon. Whewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww There goes my $$$ for h2O barrels. I agree with you about price of gas in the coming months ahead. I do have barrels for gas, though!!!!!!.......NO shortages here!!!! Just paying through the nose.

-- Richard (kingrz@webtv.net), August 06, 1999.

You hit the nail on the head! Prices are going up FAST in NW Washington State. 5 days ago paid $149.9 for regular, yesterday priced up to $159.9...It has gone up about 10 cents per week here. Those 3 wheel tricycles are looking better and better. They have some good ones, cheap on Wal-Mart's web site. Look under sporting goods if anyone is interested.

Sammie ;->

-- Sammie Davis (sammie0X@hotmail.com), August 06, 1999.

Still holding here at $1.64.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), August 06, 1999.

Prices have gone up almost 20 cents a gallon here in northern Indiana over the past 2 months. However, it is normal for them to go up during the summer vacation season, at least that has been my experience the last 7 years in Florida.

I guess,we will only know it's a trend if they don't go down in September and October but continue to rise.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), August 06, 1999.

There's no method to the madness in these parts. Paid $1.08 last night-- $1.18 two weeks ago. It is up considerably from the $0.79 we were paying in May...

-- yerfdog (yerfdog@qwestinternet.net), August 06, 1999.

I've seen it as high as $2.29/gal for full serve hi-test in Marin County, just to the north of San Francisco and expecting it to get higher. I usually pay $1.61/gal at a discount pump-it-yerself, cash only place. I'm trying to keep the tank full, topping off when i creep towards the 1/2 tank mark. Never know if will go higher without warning.

One of the reasons it's so expensive here besides the oil companies pricing what the market will bear is the fact CA has specially formulated gas. When the Chevron refinery in Benecia went boom a month or two ago supplies of this formulation got tight and prices rose almost overnight.

-- CA 4x4 (me@work.now), August 06, 1999.

It looks like a plot of the Dow Averages here. In the last two weeks, it has changed from a low of 99.9 to a high of 111.9. On one trip, I filled up in the morning at 101.9 and paid 110.9 in the evening on my return. Of course all of these are nothing compared to what I paid in Seattle....

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), August 06, 1999.

in Monkey (Montgomery) County, Maryland i've seen it go from about $1.13 to about $1.50 in 5-6 weeks. i drive about 10 miles out of my way to get cash at a cash-only place that's $1.11 (last week) if you get 8 gallons or more.

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), August 07, 1999.

The reason that gas prices have gone up is because that the summer vacation season has been heavier than expected and OPEC began to cut back on the amount of crude oil that they were allowing to be sold on the open market.

Gas prices traditionally go high in the summer as demand goes higher and prices will begin to fall again in the end of August and beginning of September as school goes back into session and the vacation period ends.

-- Pat (BAMECW@aol.com), August 07, 1999.

$1.79 up hear in my neck of the Sierras (CA). My guess is the oil companies are squeezing the last drops of profit from their dying camel. Hmmm... odd mixed metaphor... well... you get my drift. -g-

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 07, 1999.

$1.80 GAG!

For regular unleaded here in Northern Cal

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 12, 1999.

Update...my original post stated gas had risen from $.98 to $1.10. Two days ago, it jumped another nickel to $1.15. That's a seventeen percent increase in three weeks.

-- Copycat (dobbie@coastalnet.com), August 12, 1999.